England coach Andy Flower has called on South Africans to stop booing Kevin Pietersen.

Pietersen received a hostile welcome in his first England tour to South Africa five years ago, and little has changed in the start to this series. Zimbabwean Flower believes it doesn’t influence his play, but called on the fans to stop.

‘I think he is used to the sort of reaction he’s getting from the crowd to be honest and I don’t think it affects him,’ said Flower. ‘But to me it is really disappointing to hear the boos he’s getting.

‘I didn’t like hearing the boos when [Ricky] Ponting walked out to bat in the summer, I don’t like hearing boos when someone is taking a conversion in rugby and I don’t like hearing this crowd booing a great cricketer when he is going out to compete for his country.’

Pietersen has received much jeering, but South African-born Jonathan Trott hasn’t.

‘There is a bit of the pantomime villain about KP out here and he’s higher profile than Jonathan Trott so that plays a part, but I just think it is sad.’